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In a statement on Tuesday, Fawehinmi said “the leadership of the police has consciously or deliberately eluded the Igbos who constitute one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria".
Chronicling the roll call of occupants of the office of the Inspector-General of Police in Nigeria from independence to date, the Senior Advocate lamented that from the first, Mr. Louis Edet, to the incumbent, Mr. Mike Okiro, 13 in all, none was Igbo.
The human rights lawyer who said he was worried because he holds the unity of this country so dearly, added that the unity of Nigeria must be taken as a religion in the sense that not only should we believe in unity, we must be seen to be doing things to promote unity.
According to him, "firstly, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as contained in the Preamble is to establish equality and justice. This was contained in both the 1979 as well as 1999 Constitutions, a period of twenty-eight (28) years (1979-2007).
"Secondly, Section 14 sub-section (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979 which is the same as Section 14 sub-section (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 provides inter alia that:- '14(3).
The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty.
“The point is that the fundamental law of the nation, has never supported, since 1979 the deliberate exclusion of the Igbos from the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force because Police is an integral part of the government of the Federation.”
"I asked myself: the exclusion of the Igbos from the leadership of the Police since after the civil war which ended in January, 1970, could that also be the reason?
As a Nigerian, who was in Nigeria after the end of the civil war, the Eastern part of Nigeria, which was the main theatre of the civil war returned to the Nigerian family. Consequently, I believe that the exclusion cannot be ostensibly attributed to the civil war.
But does that exclude the psychological effect of the civil war? Only those in power can answer that question," he added.
"The next person to Sunday Ehindero who retired on Friday, June 1, 2007 is Ogbonna Onovo who is an Igbo from Enugu State. He is a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG).
If he was qualified to be a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), why should he not be qualified to be an Inspector-General of Police (IGP)? I demand an explanation from the Yar’ Adua administration".
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